~ Everything- Constantly- Temporary

There are many possibilities in the world of stuffed peppers, you can pretty much fill ‘em up with whatever you like. I was in the mood for something traditional so I went the all-American route of stuffing them with beef and cheese. This is the recipe I used adapted from Thru The Bugs On My Windshield.

Cut the tops off the peppers, just below the stem indentation. Take seeds out of the bottom and discard.

Rinse peppers thoroughly and place in a small microwavable baking dish, open side up. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes, or until slightly steamed. This takes the place of having to parboil them in a big pot of water.

While the peppers are in the microwave, mix all the remaining ingredients, except for 1/4 cup of the cheese, in a large mixing bowl. Incorporate well.

Remove peppers from microwave and stuff with your ground beef filling. Top with remaining cheese and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

The original recipe has a few more ingredients, which probably make it a bit tastier but since I was trying to stick to ingredients that students can easily afford I cut them out. Overall the peppers were pretty tasty, I would have thrown in some more spices and herbs to the ground beef mixture, a bit of oregano, garlic salt, and maybe some Italian seasoning, since it was a bit dry. But if you don’t want to splurge on buying spices, since they are a bit pricey, I would recommend just throwing in a bit more cheese in the beef mixture because it adds a little moisture. The recipe was overall very easy to do, and the idea of microwaving the peppers instead of steaming them is brilliant because it’s one less pot to clean and it is much quicker. Stuffed peppers are also incredibly versatile so if you wanted to make a vegetarian version just substitute the ground beef mixture with a mix of couscous, mushrooms, carrot and frozen peas and voila. Let me know what you think!

By far the best Irish pub in Italy. I wouldn’t say nightlife in Rome is super expensive but it is still easy to overspend. For example, you can get a big bottle of Peroni in the supermarket for about 1 euro and some bars will charge you up to 8 euro for the same thing. Luckily, the student specials at Scholars Lounge will save you from overspending, unless you try and taste their most expensive whiskey, which I believe is a couple hundred euro for one shot. But if you stick to what is good and cheap, you’ll have a great night. Though obviously I can’t promise you the best morning after.

Scholars is located right in the heart of Rome, just a few minutes walk from both the Largo Argentina tram stop and Piazza Venezia where you can catch a bus once the tram has stopped running. Scholars is Irish owned and run which really gives it its charm. And by charm I don’t mean a really fancy, beautiful bar, I mean a messy, student-filled pub where everybody inevitably has a great time.

For students studying at the nearby universities like American University of Rome and John Cabot University there are student specials every night. You can get one of those big Peroni bottles for 3.25 euro and you can always get a big row of euro shooters. We’re not talking fancy alcohol, but it tastes good, and gets the job done.

And for those of you who don’t go to the aforementioned schools there is a Student night every Wednesday featuring Sex on the Beach and Tequila Sunrise cocktails for 4 euro, the big Peroni bottles for 3 euro and Rum/vodka/whiskey shots for just 2 euro. All in all a pretty good deal. So for the nights when you want to get wild with a bunch of other students without emptying your wallet, choose Scholars. And if you want to go out and have a quality drink, you can do it here as well, they’ve got a great selection of nice beers, Italian wines and as I said some pretty nice whiskey, plus they’ve got 8 big screens showing basically every sporting event of the night. And don’t miss karaoke night, every Sunday and Tuesday, no one’s really listening anyway so may as well have fun. Cheers!

While travelling it’s easy to rack up your bills on expensive meals, especially in Italy where all that amazing food is hard to resist. If you stray a bit from the tourist-beaten path you can find some great student specials. Over in Trastevere, just a short tram ride from the center of the city, there is an abundance of traditional Italian trattorias and ristorantes that offer a great deal.

One such place is Le Fate, which is located right off the 8 tram line. Decorated with lots of fairies and twinkling lights this little restaurant is pretty easy to spot. While the majority of their menu is a bit pricey, and was definitely out of my budget as a student, every night they offer a different preset dinner menu for students for only 10 euro. They have a blackboard with the set menu up on the wall in the restaurant so if you want to pick the best night to go you can either stop in and take a peek or just call up and check the specials for that night. For just 10 euro they will serve you a plate of bruschetta, a main meal, usually a pasta, a dessert and a glass of house wine. Everything is really delicious and comes from the same menu as the rest of the restaurant, in a slightly smaller portion. But the three courses put together definitely fill you up and the addition of the wine is a huge bonus.

The homey interior of Le Fate.

And if you’re studying abroad at the American University of Rome in Monte Verde you can take cooking classes with one of the chefs from Le Fate which I highly recommend. They’re only 15 euro and you’ll have a great time learning Italian cooking tips and eating a huge 3 course meal.

I had bean soup as my main on my first visit. While it was pretty good I would recommend going on a night that they are serving ravioli as it was definitely one of my favorite meals in Rome.

The delicious homemade Chef’s Cake.

So if you want to save a few bucks for your travels, take the time to go over to Trastevere for an amazing and affordable Italian dinner. And if you have the time take a wander around Trastevere as it is definitely one of Rome’s hidden gems.

Rome is chock-full of little trattorias, pizzerias, and ristorantes with unlimited choices for the curious exchange student who is trying to soak up as much culture as possible. And while testing out all the strange places on side streets or the restaurants where you can’t understand a single item on the menu can be fun, sometimes it helps to take a breather and not have to hide your American-ness for a night. Magnolia in Campo de’ Fiori is the perfect place to do that. With well-made Italian dishes served with a touch of Americano you’ll feel more comfortable than you have in a while. Obviously in comparison with all these little trattorias the food won’t be quite as good but the ambience and drink menu help this little restaurant stand out.

Magnolia is located right in Campo de’ Fiori. As you would expect it does cater to tourists due to its location but that also adds to the charm. With an extensive menu with descriptions in English you will know exactly what you’re ordering and a very friendly owner who attended college in the U.S. it’ll be one of the least complicated nights you have dining out in Rome. The location also allows for some prime people-watching. I would also recommend bringing visiting friends here, you’ll be right in the heart of Roman nightlife and you can give them a good taste of some Italian cuisine.

The 10 percent student discount doesn’t hurt either, allowing Magnolia to be a reasonable night out for anyone on a student’s budget. The owner of Magnolia, a graduate of Boston College in Massachusetts, will also offer free drinks to BC students. However, don’t expect to waltz in and lie your way into a free drink; he’ll quiz you on your knowledge of the school before he hands over the Cocktail menu, complete with over 100 different drinks.

If you can, I would also recommend going with a group of students because the waiters often hand out a round of free shots at the end of the meal. I’ve gotten to try a number of different shots thanks to this, from Italian Flag shots to Birthday Cake shots. It may just be a ploy to reel us back in again but it is pretty effective.

With a full Italian menu you can choose from bruchette, pizza, pasta, meat, fish, and a large selection of salads. If you’re going for a more American meal, you’ll find some options to suit your palate such as steak or French fries.

The Fritto Misto, or mixed appetizer, while tasty, goes a little overboard with the deep fryer. If you’re looking for a less heavy starter I’d try something else because you’ll definitely need to save room for the main dishes. The appetizer includes fried zucchini flower, done quite well compared to those in the Jewish Ghetto, fried olives, onion rings and suppli (fried rice balls). The onion rings seem to make a strange American cameo on the plate and don’t stand out among the more Italian options.

One of the signature dishes, Riso Magnolia, risotto with a spinach cream and fresh shrimp is a rich and unusual delicacy. Creamy and filling, without going overboard, the plate is dusted with parmesan. The shrimp, while used sparingly, is a nice addition; it doesn’t make the dish nor overwhelm it with the taste of seafood, rather the creamy spinach sauce dominates the scene, as well it should.

The Cannelloni Ricotta e Spinaci al Pomodoro, cannelloni filled with ricotta and spinach in tomato sauce, is a flavorful dish, the freshness of the ricotta and tomato sauce complementing the soft texture of the cannelloni.

The Lasagna is also not to be missed. A definite deal for a student you’ll get a huge, overflowing slice of delicious lasagna for only 8 euro. The mixture of different types of cheese melted throughout and on top of the lasagna mixed with the well seasoned beef inside gives you an overload of flavor. The lasagna is not laden down with tomato sauce, as most American lasagnas are, allowing you to savor the entire thing without becoming too full to move.

Some of the other more traditional Italian dishes, such as the Spaghetti alla Carbonara, should be saved for your next visit to a lesser known, hole in the wall Italian restaurant. The dish seems to strive for authenticity but lacks the necessary taste of egg and goes a little heavy on the pepper.

The menu also includes a list of 20 salads to choose from, all named after flowers to go with the Magnolia theme. There are quite a few to look through, to the point of being overwhelming. Like Alice dodging through all of the angry yelling flowers in Wonderland, you may have to step back for a second to get your bearings.

The Dahlia salad was quite good though, served with a bottle of white wine vinegar and olive oil, allowing you to make your own dressing. The ratio of lettuce to toppings is pretty even, meaning the salad will fill you up almost as much as some of the pasta dishes. If you don’t attempt to eat the whole giant bowl though, the salads act as a refreshing relief from some of the more heavy Italian food.

The charm of Magnolia lies in the slight American touches. From the English descriptions to the more American portion sizes, the details will make you feel more at home. The pasta dishes are piled high on white square plates, and the salads are served in giant white bowls. Many more dishes are sent back unfinished than you will see in other restaurants in Rome but it seems to be a matter of stomach space rather than unhappy customers. I am almost always a member of the clean plate club in Italy, but even I was unable to finish the heaping portion in front of me.

The restaurant is stocked with a full American bar and a decent sized wine list. Both the house red and white wine are a nice addition to the meal without putting too much strain on your wallet. The setting is split between inside tables and an outside area with canopies and standing heaters. With roughly ten tables inside and another ten outside the place can become pretty crowded. If you’re headed over to eat past 8:30 on a Friday or Saturday night prepare yourself to do some serious people-watching because the service becomes a bit slow and erratic.

Early on a Friday night there was no problem with service, except the common difficulty of getting your check. However, heading in late on a weekend night will eat up a pretty big chunk of your time. It also seemed that when the place was busy the table’s appetizer would be served at the same time as the main courses, leaving you to hope that your dish stays warm while you try to enjoy the antipasti.

Much more popular among tourists Magnolia also attracts a number of locals who often take more advantage of the extensive cocktail list than the food. As long as you are not expecting the traditional Italian experience you’re likely to have a good time. While it caters to tourists Magnolia also has a homey feel, and especially if you’ve been craving some easy English to English interactions, you’ll feel right at home. Take the time to grab a seat outside, order a cocktail and a hefty plate of pasta, enjoy some excellent people-watching and if you’re still in school don’t forget to ask for the discount and smile at the waiters, in hopes of a free shot to either finish off or just begin your night.

Technically I visited the Boqueria Markets while in Spain but since the last post was so long I figured I should separate the two. I went to the Boqueria Markets by myself on my first full day in Barcelona. After reading about the markets in plenty of tour guides I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I had read things saying you could buy pretty much everything from a lion to an emu egg, but most reviews simply said it was not to be missed. I had planned on having lunch there but as I entered the markets my stomach quickly decided it would not be consuming any food any time soon. As I walked in and saw all the colorful stalls, all the people rushing through, pointing at fresh seafood or tasting a slice of homemade cheese I felt a wave of excitement at the energy radiating from this place. And then I looked down and saw the head of a chicken plop onto the floor and roll sideways towards me, coming to a stop with its black beady little eyes looking sorrowfully up at me. That was around the point I knew I would unfortunately not be eating in this place. Though my instinct was to run away without looking back, I decided to instead forge on ahead and see what other gross things I would encounter that morning.

My first view of the stalls while entering the markets. This was prior to the chicken head incident. I decided not to take a photo of them out of respect. Or I just didn’t want to have that image pop into my head again so vividly.

The first of many meat vendors.

A plethora of olives.

There were small restaurants inside the markets too, this one was selling Spanish crepes.

Seafood stall.

All different kinds of nuts.

Fresh eel and other fish.

More seafood, I’m not quite sure how much meat you can actually get out of these tiny shells but they must be pretty tasty if people go through the effort.

Decorative chocolates.

Fresh fruit juice, there was a lot of competition to sell these so if you walked through the market first it was easy to see who had the best deal.

Such neatly organized fruit.

Giant tongues and more disturbing skinned lamb heads looking up at me. Clearly I’m going to have to buck up to really enjoy Spanish cuisine.

Those tongues were massive!

Barnacles and sea urchins.

I did successfully find emu eggs! Though unfortunately I did not stumble across a lion for sale. Maybe if I had pulled someone aside and hinted I was looking to purchase one they would have revealed it, but oh well. There were plenty more things to keep me entertained for quite a while. So if you find yourself looking for things to do in Barcelona, definitely check out the Boqueria Markets, they’re on every morning, they’re lively, fun, and free! But if you’re anything like me you may want to consider eating a meal before going or admitting that you won’t be eating again for a while afterwards and work that into your daily plan.

Barcelona offered some seriously delicious treats. From the tapas bars with heaps of beautiful little portions to the markets with incredibly fresh meals to the one of a kind paellas, the city was a feast of new tastes and creations. The food in Barcelona is heavily tied in to the culture. A big part of each day revolves around food, a typical day consists of a small breakfast accompanied by a delicious shot of espresso, then a mid-morning break with a pastry and most likely another shot of espresso, and then a big, hearty lunch, usually made with rice or pasta, and then later at night, around 8 or 9, comes tapas time. Many in Barcelona will hop from tapas bar to tapas bar, trying out whatever catches their eye and enjoying some beer, cava or maybe sangria. A lot revolves around the presentation of the food too, even when the restaurant is filled to the rafters with hungry people the plates coming out always seem to look beautiful.

On my first day I wandered down Las Ramblas and stumbled upon this little bakery called Forn Boix after smelling the fresh pastries from the street.

I decided on this delectable little treat, it was a chocolate croissant dusted with a bit of powdered sugar. It ended up being a little bit too crumbly which made it hard to eat but the bites that I did get in were really tasty.

For lunch I headed down to the waterfront and stumbled upon this restaurant called El Chipiron. It was actually a sit down restaurant but I saw a picture of fish and chips on the menu and couldn’t resist. So I headed in and asked for some fish and chips takeout to go eat by the water. They gave me a big cone for just 5 euro and it was so delicious. The cod was deep fried in a crisp, flaky crust and the crunchy french fries blended in perfectly. Of course they could have used some tartar sauce but they actually stood on their own amazingly well.

Sitting by the water eating my fish and chips and watching everyone enjoy the beautiful weather was pretty blissful. Everything fit in perfectly, the crisp taste of the fish and the calm, fresh air tinged with the smell of the ocean made that little paper basket into one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. It’s always amazing when you can get such a great meal for so little money.

At a dinner out with my father and his co-workers we had a really amazing dessert of brownies with ice cream, I couldn’t even wait to take a picture before I dug in. It had some sort of spice that I hadn’t tasted in a brownie dessert before, I’m pretty sure it was nutmeg and it made a huge difference.

On my next day I went over to La Sangrada Familia, a church designed by Gaudi, which was incredible in itself, and afterwards I sat down to have a nice lunch outside by myself.

I ordered some patatas bravas, I expected a tiny tapas size plate but instead got an overflowing plate with a delicious creamy, spicy sauce covering some crisp little potato wedges. Patatas bravas are made a little differently in each restaurant and throughout Spain. In Burgos the sauce is tomato based and includes vinegar, red pepper and a variety of spices to give it that extra kick and in Valencia and Catalonia the potatoes are covered in a sauce made with olive oil, red pepper, paprika and vinegar. The alioli gives it the creaminess and it is sometimes mixed in like you can see here or served separately so you can dip the potato first in the spicy sauce and then in the alioli.

Since I was expecting a smaller plate of patatas bravas I ordered two plates. The second was the famous tomato bread covered with salami. Tomato bread can be found throughout Barcelona and is especially common in tapas bars. It is usually thick slices of bread toasted slightly and rubbed with olive oil and the pulp of a tomato. This plate came out still warm and the salami, which had a bit of a bite, paired perfectly with the simple crisp bread.

And I had to complete my meal with some churros and chocolate. The churros were freshly made and even though I was already stuffed I dipped each one into the rich, velvety chocolate and savored every one.

That night my dad and I went to Plaça Reial for some tapas. We got some delicious green olives, ham and cheese croquettes, and calamari rings. Washed down with some delicious Spanish beer. We watched as the sun went down and all the street vendors came out selling these light up frisbees that flew over the square. For dinner we went to this place called El Glop. We got some appetizers of toasted bread with chorizo and cheese and a tomato salad. The salad was a simple mix of chopped tomatoes and onions drizzled with olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar. I’ve made this several times since because it’s so simple, healthy and delicious. For our main course we got their seafood paella which was delectable. It was filled with pieces of fish, clams, mussels, and prawns mixed into a well seasoned, tender plate of rice. It was so delicious that I ate way too much and ended up feeling kind of awful but it was worth it. I really want to try making paella but it seems like a pretty arduous process. The ingredients are also out of the budget range for a college student so for now I’ll just stick to enjoying it in restaurants. My last meal was brunch at this restaurant called Magnolia. They had an incredible brunch menu and was surprisingly empty when we went in. It was actually nice to enjoy the cozy setting without having anyone disturb us. I got the house special complete with fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomato and home fries. It was a huge plate of every perfect breakfast food and I ate as much as I could. Overall, Barcelona did not disappoint in its incredible range of culinary treats. I left feeling like I had tasted a wide range of Spanish cuisine and with a few new ideas for recipes that I can make at home, including the tomato salad and Catalan-style spinach, I will post the recipes later on since this post is already incredibly long. Adios!

We took a day trip to Anzio from Rome which was a nice getaway from the city. The train was only an hour and Anzio is an adorable little port town full of nice restaurants and lots and lots of seafood. The train was really affordable too, only about 2 euro one way which made it a great trip for us. It was a bit overcast on the day we went but everything was still beautiful. We stopped to have lunch in this little restaurant next to the water called Mare Novstrum.It didn’t exactly stand out more than any other place but we had heard good things about it from friends that visited the weekend before. We were having an early lunch so it was pretty empty when we went in but we were greeted warmly and sat down in the little dining room. It is owned by an older Italian man who is very enthusiastic about his customers. We were at a little bit of a loss since our Italian isn’t great and the menu is all in Italian, but he did his best translating it for us and when he couldn’t he would just bring the ingredient out from the kitchen and show it to us.

This is me with the menu, adorably hand written and messy, plus there was only one for the whole table. Shows you just how down to earth this place is. The whole restaurant was decorated with a beach theme and was very homey.

After hearing about everything on the menu, and understanding about half of it, we all decided to get the fisherman’s risotto. I actually requested mine be made with spaghetti since I’d just had risotto the night before, and after tasting my friend’s dishes, actually think it goes better with the pasta.

The dish was just a smorgasboard of the best, freshest seafood I have ever had. There were prawns, calamari, mussels, clams and a bit of crab. It was paired with a subtle broth sauce on the pasta and everything was unbelievable. My friends were a bit scared of the prawns since they still had heads but I dug right in, and once again I became a part of the clean plate club. Some of my friends actually couldn’t finish since they were so full and the man that ran the place was pretty offended. So note to anyone going to Anzio, make sure you have a totally empty stomach if you’re coming to enjoy the food here, because you’re going to want to eat every bite.

This is the fisherman’s risotto which is what my friends ordered. The risotto was pretty creamy which is probably why they couldn’t finish the whole thing. The dish was about 12 euro, which is pretty expensive for students, but since we were visiting a new place and trying their food we decided to splurge and as long as you don’t dine this extravagantly all the time it should be able to fit into your budget too.

First of all, let me say, Prague not only has excellent beer, they also have excellent food. We didn’t even stay with Czech restaurants the whole time and we had some of the best meals so far this semester. Overall, Prague was a beautiful city, although it was freezing (expect NYC type winter weather), and it had a lot to offer. I would definitely go again.

Spiced beef cooked with egg and French Fries with deviled sauce. Typical Czech bar food, this bar was called Novak’s and was right near our hostel, but you could find food like this anywhere in Prague for great prices.

Belgian chocolates filled with anything you can imagine, from absinthe to marzipan.

Butter chicken and Garlic Naan at Himalaya Restaurant in Prague, best Indian food I’ve had in a long time.

Cinnamon and Sugar crepes from a little cafe right over Old Charles Bridge…simple yet delicious and perfectly thin.

Back at Novak’s for fried button mushrooms with a creamy garlicky sauce…would have been better if the mushrooms were a bit smaller, the taste of them was pretty strong. The sauce however was amazing and we made sure to dip the french fries in there too.

Delicious chicken enchiladas at Cantina restaurant in Prague, always a long wait so make sure to get a reservation because this food is definitely worth it. And what Mexican meal is complete without a pitcher of frozen margaritas. Beware, these ones are strong!

The street vendor hot dogs are also delicious, (and a great hangover food for those of us enjoying the Czech beer), they’re nothing like what you would get on the side of the road in New York City. Nestled into fresh French bread, they’re savory and juicy, but I would recommend adding the ketchup and mustard even if you’re usually not a fan since they need that extra “something.”

A delicious brunch of a bacon and cheese omelette accompanied by a small salad with a honey dijon vinagrette.

It’s nearly the end of the week which means my pantry is running low on supplies. So tonight I decided to throw what was left together and ended up with Cous Cous with Spinach and Chicken.

My kitchen is sadly sans any type of measurement tools, no cups or spoons. So I was a little daunted about making the Cous Cous, which usually needs an exact measurement of pasta to water for it to work. I turned to my college instincts and reached for the shot glasses. I threw in four shot glasses of water and let it boil then added two shot glasses of Cous Cous plus another dash for good luck and it all worked out fine. The result was about enough Cous Cous for three people.

For the chicken I simply seasoned it with a bit of salt and oregano, basically the extent of my spices here, and heated up some butter and olive oil in a pan. I always think it tastes better with the combination of the two instead of just using one or the other. I cooked the chicken until it was brown on the outsides then cut it up into strips. With the pan still warm I threw in the frozen spinach and as it thawed added a bit of salt and a tab of butter. When that was done I threw the Cous Cous and the chicken in with the spinach and tossed them together until they were all warm and mixed.

For the final touch I topped it with a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan, I am in Italy after all.

Despite the numerous challenges facing me in the kitchen of my Roman apartment I decided to try out something I’ve been a bit scared of ever since I got here. My gas oven. Basically you just flip a knob and the gas starts pouring out and you’ve got to stick your hand in with a match until the whole thing catches on fire. Sounds fun, right?

Well, I had bought a bag of frozen french fries about a week before and I couldn’t wait any longer for some American comfort food so I decided to try it. I got it lit successfully but wasn’t sure if the door to the oven was fully closing so I kept the door of the balcony ajar in case any gas was leaking out. I picked up some ketchup at the convenience store across the street, apparently they do sell ketchup and mustard pretty regularly here. The instructions on the fries said to put them in for 20 minutes at 220 Celsius. Funny thing about gas ovens is there is absolutely no way to control the temperature. So I stuck them in when it seemed hot and an hour and a half later they were done. They really could have kept cooking for a bit but my roommates and I were way too impatient. Note to self for the future, whenever using the oven multiply estimated cooking time by four.

I paired the french fries with cheeseburgers. Well, obviously. I wasn’t able to find hamburger buns or sliced cheese though so I improvised with that. I just used the regular sandwich bread and toasted it slightly, in a frying pan since I also don’t have a microwave and sliced some provolone cheese for the burgers. I cooked the burgers in a frying pan and they actually came out pretty well. We put some tomatoes, onions and ketchup on top and called it a day. Pretty successful American meal for an Italian kitchen.